Road working machine



'Aug. 3@, 1932, B SHERMAN 1,875,194-

ROAD WORKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3% 1932- 1.. B. SHERMAN 1,875,194

ROAD WORKING MACHINE Filed Aug- 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L T f/vy fA/mfi U MVMUTQHM/WA/ w My Aug. 3%, 1932. 1.. B. SHERMAN ROAD WORKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATToR/VE Y8 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES,

PATENT. OFFICE LEVERETT B. SHERMAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, 'BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WIS- CONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ROAD WORKING MACHINE Application filed August 29, 1925. Serial No. 53,394.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in road working machines in general, such as are commonly employed in the up-keep of roads and highways to maintain a relatively smooth road surface. and which machines usually employ a blade adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the road surface, and more particularly relates to improvements in the blade-operating mechanism of such machines.

In the operation of road machines of the above mentioned type, the blade is usually manually operated by means of hand-wheels provided upon the apparatus for that purpose. To thus manually adjust the relative position of the blade while the machine is traveling along a roadway, requires considerable time and effort upon the part of the operator, especially when adjusting the blade of a relatively large road grader from one extreme to the other. Such manually operated blade operating mechanisms have, therefore. been found more or less objectionable, and it is therefore desirable that means be provided whereby the blade operating mechanism may be connected to a suitable source of power. thereby dispensing with the use of the hand-wheels.

An object of this invention is to provide a power-driven blade-operating mechanism ada ted to be connected to a source of power such. for instance. as the u ual tractor employed for drawing the road grader or ma chine along the roadway, or. to a power unit mounted upon the road machine.

The particular object of the invention is to provide animproved blade-operating mechanism for road working machinesf Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a road machine connected to a tractor and showing the improved blade-operating mechanism mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1, showing the operating levers for controlling the operation of the blade-operating mechanism;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional plan view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6' of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a modified construction showing the blade-operating mechanism connected to a power unit mounted directly upon the road machine; and

Figure 8 is a plan view of Figure 7.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown for purposes of disclosure, there is illustrated a road-machine of ordinary construction, comprising the usual frame members 7. the rear end-portions of which are supported upon the carryingwheels 8. .The form of road machine here shown is of the trailer type and has its front end-portion connected to and supported upon the rear end-portion of the tractor by such means as the coupling 9. The usual blade 11 is shown connected to its supporting frame 12 which is connected to an eye-bolt 13 at the front end ofthe machine frame. The rear end-portion of'the blade supporting frame 12 is connected by means of connecting rods 14 to a pair of crank shafts 15 having their rear end-portions supported in bearings 16 mounted on the side frames 7, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

An important feature of this invention resides in the novel means and method provided for operating the crank shafts 15 to relatively adjust the position of the blade with reference to the road surface. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the crank shafts 15 have their forward end-portions mounted in a gear housing 17, preferably split, and a worm wheel 18 is terminally secured to each shaft adapted to mesh with a Worm 19 mounted upon a relatively short shaft 21 upon the opposite end of which a similar worm wheel 22 is mounted. The worm wheel 22 meshes with a worm 23 mounted upon,a shaft 24 having a flanged coupling 25 provided on one end thereof adapted to have the complementary flanged coupling 26 of a flexible drive shaft 27 secured thereto as shown. The purpose of the above-described mechanism is to provide a gear reduction of a relatively high ratio between the flexible drive shafts 27 and their complementary crank shafts 15. The gear housing 17 may be conveniently mounted upon and secured to the frame members 7 as particularly shown in Figure 3.

The means provided for selectively rotating the flexible drive shafts 27 in either direction, depending upon the adjustment of the blade, preferably consists in the provision of a gear and clutch mechanism for eachshaft 27 which has a connection with a suitable source of power such, for instance, as the drive shaft. 28 of the tractor, shown in Figures 1 and 2. Each clutch mechanism comprises a pair of beveled gears 29 having flanged hubs 31 rotatably mounted in bearings provided in a housing 32, as particularly shown in Figure 5. The housing '32 is also preferably split, as shown. A pinion 33 is mounted at rightangles to the gears 29 and adapted to be in constant mesh therewith.

The pinion -33 is similarly provided with .a

flanged hub 34 which likewise is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing provided in the housing 32. A fork 35 is preferably integrally provided upon the projecting endportion of the hub 34 to provide one-half of a universal joint, the other half of which consists of a similar fork 36 terminally mounted upon the flexible drive shaft 27.

The beveled gears 31 have provided on their adjacent faces suitable jaws or clutch teeth 37 adapted to be engaged by similar teeth 38 oppositely formed upon a clutch member 39 slidably mounted upon a drive shaft 41, and prevented from relative rotation thereon by means of a feather key 42 as shown in Figure 6. The drive shaft 41is concentrically and rotatably mounted in the hubs 31 of the beveled gears 29.

The meansprovided for operating the clutch member 39 to selectively move it into driving connection with the clutch teeth 37 of either of the beveled gears 31, preferably consists of a fork 43 mounted upon a shaft 44 slidably mounted in bearings provided in the housing 32. The forked arm 43 is adapted to engage a groove 45 provided in the clutch member 39 so that when the arm 43 is shifted from one position to the other, the

clutch member may be moved into and out" of driving connection with either of the pinsecured to the'sliding shaft 44 by such means as the eye-screw 47, and has its other end connected to an operating lever 48 pivotally ures 1 and 2. By means of this lever the clutch member 39 may be conveniently shifted from one position to another to operate the flexible drive shaft 27 to adjust the relative position of the blade 11.

The drive shaft 41, which is axially mounted in the hubs 31 of the gears 29, extends through both housings 32 and the gears mounted therein, as shown in Figure 4, sov that either one of the flexible drive shafts 27 may be selectively operated in either direction to properly adjust the position of the blade. A pulley 52 is terminally mounted upon the drive shaft 41 and has a belt 53 operatively connecting it with a pulley 54 mounted upon the usual drive shaft 28 of the tractor. An idler pulley 55 may be provided to relatively adjust the tension of the belt 53.

In the operation of this novel blade-operating mechanism, the operator may conveniently adjust the position of the blade by simply manipulating the clutch levers 48. When the levers are in the full'line position shown in Figure 4, the clutch members 33 will be out of driving connection with their complementary. gears 29, and when thus positioned the blade may be held in any of its adjusted positions. When it is desired to operate the flexible drive shafts 27, the levers 48 will be moved to either of their dotted line positions shown in Figure 4, depending upon whether it is desired to raise or lower the blade. When the clutch member 39 is thus shifted into driving connection with one of the gears 29 the flexible shaft 27 will be caused to rotate in one direction and when shifted into driving connection with the opposite gear 29 the shaft 27 will rotate'in the opposite direction. This novel operating mechanism therefore provides a positive power-driven blade-operating mechanism, by the employment of which the operator may readily and quickly adjust the position of the blade by simply manipulating the two operating levers 48. By the employment of the two clutch mechanisms mounted in the housings 32, either end of the blade may be operated independently of the other or if desired, both ends may be raised or lowered simultaneously. i

In the drawings I have shown the drive shaft 41 as being operatively connected to the ends of the tractor but it is to be understood that if desired other power means may be provided for operating the shaft 41 such, for instance, as mounting a small engine upon the tractor adapted for use to operate the mechanism with the gear casing, the tractor may be conveniently turned with relation to the road machine or grader without affecting the operation of the bladesoperating mechanism. The blade-operating mechanism is also shown employed in connection With a road machine of the trailer type but it is to be understood that it may be employed equally as well in conjunction with road machines, of ordinary construction, of the four-wheel type and Without departing from the invention.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown a modified construction wherein the blade-operating mechanism is shown connected to a power unit 56 mounted directly upon the frame of the road machine. The form of power unit here shown is of the internal combustion type, but it is to be understood that other power means applicable for the purpose may be employed if desired.

In the form here shown, the clutch housings 32 are shown mounted adjacent the rear end-position of the grader so that the operating levers 48 may be conveniently manipulated by an operator standing'upon the platform 57. The clutch shaft 41 preferably extends through both clutch housings 32 and has the pulley 52 mounted thereon preferably between the housings, as shown in Figure 8.

The belt 53 operatively connects the pulley 52 with a flanged pulley 58 mounted upon the power unit as shown. By thus connecting the blade-operating mechanism with a power unit mounted upon the grader or road machine the blade may be operated independently of the tractive power of the machine so that the grader may be drawn along the highway either by a tractor, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or by a team of horses or other propelling means. In Figures 7 and 8 the flexible shafts 27 have also been dispensed with and suitablenon-flexible shafts 59 connect the clutch mechanisms with the worms'23 and worm wheels 22. In addition to operating the blade-operating mechanism,

- the power unit mounted upon the grader may also be of such size and construction, and be so arranged as to provide the necessary tractive power required to propel the grader along the highway. It is also to be understood that, if desired, the crank shafts 15, which are of ordinary construction, may be dispensed with and other suitable conneetions interposed between the power means and the blade for transmitting power thereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor, a grading machine trailer frame connected thereto and a grader blade mounted in said frame, independent clutch and gear mechanisms mounted on said tractor, a drive shaft connected with the tractor source of power and common to said clutch and gear mechanisms, and means connecting saidclutch and gear mechanisms with said grader blade for operating it by power.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor, a grading machine trailer frame connected thereto, a grader blade mounted in said frame, clutch and gear mechanisms mounted on said tractor, levers for controlling said clutch and gear mechanisms, a drive shaft common to said clutch and gear mechanisms having means for connection with the tractor source of power, and means connecting said clutch and gear mechanism with said grader blade for operating it by power, said means being flexible to allow said trailer to follow the tractor in turning or changing its direction of travel.

3. A device of the class described comprising a tractor including an engine, a wheeled frame attached to the tractor as a trailer, said wheeled frame having a scraper, means pivotally connecting the scraper with the frame, a pair of shafts upon the frame, each having a crank, a connection between each crank and said scraper, connecting means, a speed reduction gearing connecting with each shaft, a drive shaft, a pair of reversing clutch mechanisms operable by said shaft, each mechanism having a driven shaft, and flexible shaft connections between each driven shaft and reduction gearing, and power means con necting with the drive shaft for operating the same from the tractor engine.

4. A device of the class described comprising a tractor including an engine, a pair of reversing clutch mechanisms upon the tractor, each including a driven shaft, said mechanisms having a common driving shaft connected to be driven by the tractor engine, a wheeled trailer coupled'with the tractor at its forward end, and having a scraper carrying frame pivoted to the trailer adjacent the tractor, a pair of shafts, each having a crank and mounted upon the frame, connections between each crank and scraper carrying frame, speed reduction mechanism connected with each shaft and a flexible driving connection between each driven clutch shaft and one of the speed reduction mechanisms.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of August, 1925.

LEVERETT B. SHERMAN. 

